Westerners edge Bulldogs in 10 innings, 4-3

By SKIP LEON Herald Sports Editor

Published 8:06 am, Saturday, March 28, 2015

Photo: Skip Leon/Plainview Herald

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Plainview catcher Gabriel Chavez holds onto the ball as he collides with a Lubbock High runner at home plate during a District 4-5A baseball game at Bulldog Park Saturday. The runner was called out to end the sixth inning. Lubbock defeated Plainview in 10 innings, 4-3. less

Plainview catcher Gabriel Chavez holds onto the ball as he collides with a Lubbock High runner at home plate during a District 4-5A baseball game at Bulldog Park Saturday. The runner was called out to end the ... more

Photo: Skip Leon/Plainview Herald

Westerners edge Bulldogs in 10 innings, 4-3

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Any baseball coach will tell you, more often than not it’s the little things that win games - a sacrifice bunt, hitting to the right side to advance a runner, a sacrifice fly, a clutch single.

The Plainview Bulldogs had trouble executing those little things that add up to victories and the result was a tough 4-3 loss to Lubbock High in 10 innings at Bulldog Park Friday. The game took 3 hours, 20 minutes and ended with a botched double steal by Plainview for the final out in the bottom of the 10th inning.

The loss drops the Bulldogs’ record to 1-2 in District 4-5A.

Plainview coach Jimmy Webster lamented his team’s lack of execution in playing small ball.

“We wasted so many opportunities to not only score, but to keep them from scoring,” Webster said after the game. “We didn’t execute our bunt defense. We couldn’t get a bunt down. Little things for us, right now, don’t seem that important to us. And that’s why we are where we are right now, because we’re not really good doing the little things. And that hurt us.”

Despite the loss, the Bulldogs showed heart in battling back from deficits. Three times Lubbock High took a one-run lead and three times the Dogs fought back to tie the score. And they had their opportunities to win the game in the eighth and ninth innings, but could not come up with a clutch, two-out hit to score a walk-off victory.

In the bottom of the 10th inning, it looked like Plainview would make a fourth comeback in the game. Paxstyn Oldfield singled and advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw. After a one-out intentional walk to Brent Silvas, Trendan Jackson reached first on a forceout sending Oldfield to third.

With two outs, Webster put on the double steal. Jackson broke for second and Oldfield broke for home. But Lubbock pitcher Riggan Preston delivered a pitch and Oldfield was caught in a rundown between third and home. He eventually was tagged out at home by the Lubbock first baseman to end the game.

Webster said Lubbock played the double steal the way they should have.

“We tried a play where we’re trying to steal a run that we worked on,” Webster said. “In fact, we worked on it yesterday. And they played it well. We didn’t run it as well as we need to in that situation. Still, when we get three runs in 10 innings and can’t execute the way we’re supposed to execute, it makes it hard to win.”

The Dogs had their chances to win the game.

After holding Lubbock scoreless in the top of the eighth, Plainview got runners to second and third in the home half of the inning.

Ryan DeLeon singled up the middle to start the frame. Pinch-runner Drew Wilkinson alertly went to second when the Lubbock first baseman threw the ball wildly to the pitcher after a pickoff attempt. Two outs later Silvas was walked intentionally. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. But a hard line drive was hit right at the Lubbock centerfielder for the third out.

Lubbock’s Colby Suter led off the top of the ninth with a triple to deep right field. But Oldfield, who came on in relief for the eighth inning, got a groundout and strikeout as Suter remained at third. Plainview’s senior right-hander was one strike away from getting out of the inning, but leadoff batter Colby Anderson singled to left on a one-ball, two-strike pitch to put the Westerners ahead.

Plainview once again battled back in the bottom of the ninth.

Danny Martinez reached first on a forceout for the second out of the inning. Pinch-hitter Ivan Pena ripped the first pitch deep down the right-field line. The speedy Martinez was off with the crack of the bat and had a chance to score on the play. But the ball landed inches foul. However, there was still some magic left for the Bulldogs. Pena hit a hard grounder that the pitcher knocked down. But with Pena hustling down the first-base line, the pitcher’s hurried throw went past the first baseman and into right field, allowing Martinez to score all the way from first base and Pena to wind up on third. But Pena, the potential winning run, was stranded 90 feet from home plate when a groundout ended the inning.

Lubbock had drawn first blood with a run in the third inning. But Plainview tied it up in the fifth.

Sean Sanchez bunted his way on with one out. Michael Soliz singled and DeLeon singled to score Sanchez. However, Soliz was thrown out trying to go to third on the hit to end the inning.

Both teams scored in the sixth. Lubbock might have scored twice, but a runner was thrown out at home plate to end the inning. The throw came in from leftfielder Sanchez to DeLeon, who fired to catcher Gabriel Chavez. Chavez withstood a collision at home plate and held onto the ball for the final out of the inning.

The home half of the inning marked the second time in the game that the Bulldogs battled back to tie the score.

Oldfield got to second base when his infield popup fell between three Lubbock fielders for a two-base error. J.D. Armijo sacrificed Oldfield to third and Silvas singled up the middle to knot the count 2-2.